German fruit juice producer Eckes Granini is poised to sell its French subsidiary to a management buyout (MBO) in association with Les Laiteries Saint-Denis de l'Hôpital, a firm specialising in packaging for liquid products, according to a union source.
The source told just-drinks the project was presented at a work council meeting yesterday (January 21) and could be officially unveiled on February 1.
Eckes Granini has two production plants in eastern France, one at Sarre-Union, which produces around 180m litres of fruit juice annually, the majority destined for distributors own brands. The second at Macon has a yearly output of close to 100m litres and specialises in its parent company's Joker, Réa and Granini brands.
The source said the buyout could cast doubt on the future of the Macon plant as two new production lines initially planned for the facility would now be installed at the Sarre-Union plant.
Sectors: Soft drinks, Water
